Golf club putter and trainer



April 16, 1968 J. w. HALEY GOLF CLUB PUTTER AND TRAINER Filed Nov. 2, 1964 j INVENTOR 1/077 lY/ZQMY 16 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,378,262 GULF CLUB PUTTER AND TAATNER John W. Haley, 524 S. D St, Lake Worth, Fla. 33469 Filed Nov. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 4%,225 Claims. (Cl. 273,-1ti2) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLQSURE A golf club comprising an elongated shaft having a handle at one end and a putter head at the other end with a second shaft pivotally connected to the elongated shaft intermediate the ends of the elongated shaft. The second shaft has a ground engaging end portion eate lding below the putter head which is placed in contact with the ground so as to steady or guide the putting stroke.

The present invention relates to a new and improved golf club and, more particularly, to a golf club such as a putter which is capable of being used for its in tended purposes as a putter as well as a golf club to assist in the training of the proper putting stroke.

Heretofore, many prior art devices have been developed for teaching and training a golfer in proper putter techniques so that the golfer knows and develops the proper wrist motion during putting. These prior art devices, which have made an effort to keep the golfers hands in a straight line motion when putting, utilized a conventional putter and a complicated frame or stand structure upon which the putter was clamped for pivotal move ment with respect thereto. However, such prior art devices were not practical for use about a golf course as they had to be stationary and were not easily transportable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf club putter which had built into it means for assisting the teaching and training of a golfer in the art of putting or for aiding an older golfer whose hands and nerves are not as steady as a young golfer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club with means forming an integral part thereof for assisting in the teaching and training of a golfer as to proper putting techniques, the golf club also being capable of use in the conventional manner when so desired.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved golf club for use in teaching, training and perfecting a golfers putting stroke or for assisting an aged golfer in steadying his putting stroke, the golf club being of light weight and simple construction and capable of easy portability about a golf course.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully in the following specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the golf club of the present invention, the view illustrating the training means in use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view illustrating the putter head of the present invention with the training means shown in a stored position so that the golf club putter may be used in the conventional manner;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and illustrates one form of means for selectively supporting the training shaft at various positions along the main shaft of the golf club;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a m0dified form of adjustment means for the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like character and reference numerals represent like or similar parts, the golf club of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. The club ll) illustrated is of the type normally used for putting and includes an elongated main shaft 12 preferably made of tubular steel or the like. The elongated main shaft l2 has at one end thereof the usual hand grip or handle 14. The other or lower end of the shaft 12 is provided with a mallet type putter head 16 having a golf ball contacting surface 18. While the putter head 16 has been shown as a mallet type head extending outwardly of the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12, it will be appreciated that it may be a conventional blade type putter head or other type putter head if so desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The elongated main shaft 12 is provided at its upper end, immediately below the hand grip or handle 14, with a portion 2i) which is of uniform cross sectional diameter, the portion 20 receiving a sleeve member 22 for limited sliding movement thereon longitudinally of the shaft 12 between upper and lower predetermined limits. The remaining lower portion 24 of the elongated shaft 12 is preferably tapered as on a conventional putter.

The slidable sleeve member 22 has a pair of upstanding ears 26 thereon which are arranged to receive a pivot pin 28 extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12, the pivot pin '28 supporting a pivotal lever or rocker arm 30. At one end of the lever or rocker arm 39 there is provided an inwardly depending lug or pin 32 which is arranged to pass through a hole 34 in the sleeve member 22 and engage in one of a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes 36 in the shaft 12. A torsion spring 38 or the like is provided around the pivot pin 28 and engages the lever or rocker arm 33 to normally urge the same in a direction to cause the lug or pin 32 to extend through the hole 34 in the sleeve member 22 as well as one of the holes 36 in the shaft 12 so as to fix the sleeve member 22 in a selected adjusted position. It will be noted by reference specifically to FIGURE 1 that the lever or rocker arm 30 is positioned on the same side of shaft 12 of club 10 as is the putter head 16. Additionally, it will be noted that a groove 40 extends along the shaft 12 between the holes 36, the groove providing a guide for the lug or pin 32 of lever arm 30 when the sleeve member 22 is being shifted to a different position so as to prevent the sleeve member 30 from rotating relative the shaft 12.

Sleeve member 22 is provided on the rear side of the shaft 12 of the club iii, which is the side of the club opposite from the side which the putter head 16 extends, with a pivot pin or swivel member 42 on which is carried a ground engaging shaft 44, the shaft 44 extending and pivotal in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main shaft 112. Shaft 44 is retained on the pivot pin 42 by a lock washer 46. The upper end of the shaft 44- is curved outwardly away from shaft 12 as indicated at 4% so that when the lever arm 30 is disengaged from the hole 36, the sleeve member may be readily adjusted upwardly or downwardly on the shaft 12 between the limits of its movement. The lower end of the shaft 44 is provided with a ground engaging end portion Stl extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the shaft 44 and in the same direction as the putter head 16 extends from the shaft 12. This in effect gives the shaft 44 an L-shaped appearance.

The bottom of the putter head 16 is provided with a concave groove 52 of size and shape sufficient to receive the ground engaging portion Sll of shaft 44 when the shaft 44 is moved to its most upward position and it is desired to use the golf club 10 as a conventional putter.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, a slightly modified form of sleeve member 22' is disclosed. In this form of the in vention the main shaft 12 is provided with the portion 26' that is square in cross section. The sleeve member 22' is also square in cross section and slidable of the portion 29. Sleeve member 22' is provided with lever Elli. In this particular modification the lever 30 is fixedly mounted on a leaf spring 38 and has the usual lug 3i. on its free end for being received through at aperture 34' in the sleeve member 22 and one of a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 36' on the start 12. The shaft 44 is attached to the rear of sleeve member 22' in a manner similar to that described with reference to FIG- URE 3.

The operation of the olf club putter may be described briefly as follows: If the putter lltl is to be used as a training device as shown in FIGURE 1 for developing he wrist action and stroke of a golfer or is to be used by an older golfer merely to steady his hands during putting, the lever 30 on the sleeve member is depressed so that the sleeve member 22 is free to slide on the shaft. The sleeve member 22 is then lowered to a position where the ground engaging portion 50 of the shaft 44 is free of the bottom surface of the putter head 16. This will permit the shaft 12 to pivot relative to the shaft 44 when the shaft 44 is supported on the ground by its ground supporting end portion 5i When it is desired to use the putter it) in the conventional manner, then the sleeve member 22 is moved to its uppermost position on the shaft 12 so that the ground engaging portion 5%) is received completely within the groove or recess 52 of the putter head 16.

Preferably, two holes 36 are provided on the shaft 12 but it is, of course, within the scope of the invention to provide more than two holes so that a slightly wider range of movement can be had for the sleeve member 22 relative the shaft 12. In other words, the uppermost hole 36 would be used at all times to stowc the ground engaging end portion 5i} of the shaft 44 in the putter head 16 of the club 10 whereas those holes below the same 4 would be for varying the distance between the ground engaging end portion 50 of shaft 44 and the bottom surface of the putter head 16 to suit a particular golfers needs and desires.

If a blade type putter head is used rather than the mallet head type putter, then the ground engaging portion 50 would be stowed in a similar manner within a groove in the base of the blade extending alnog the length of the same. The groove in the blade would be concave in cross-section and complementary to the convex shape of the upper surface of the portion 59.

While the shaft 12 has been illustrated in FIGURE 1 as round in cross-section and in FIGURE 5 as at least partially square in cross-section, it will be understood that the shaft 12 may be square in cross-section from the handle 14 to the putter head 16. By making the shaft 12 square in cross-section, the golfer may use the shaft as a sighting means as well as the putter head, in order to be sure the putter head and shaft are square with the ball prior to putting.

The golf club putter heretofore described and illustrated in the drawings fully and effectively accomplishes the objects and advantages of the present invention. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing specific cmbodiments have been shown and described only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and are subject to some changes without departing from such principles. Therefore, the terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not limitation, the spirit and scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A golf club comprising: a first shaft having a handle at one end and a putter head at the other end thereof, a second shaft having a ground engaging end portion,

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means pivotally connecting said second shaft to said first shaft for pivotal movement on an axis transverse of the longitudinal axis of said first shaft, said means located intermediate ends of said first shaft, means for adjusting said second shaft relative to said first shaft in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said first shaft whereby the ground engaging end portion of said second shaft can be adjusted relative to the putter head of said first shaft, and means on said second shaft cooperating with said first shaft to selectively prevent relative rotation of the first shaft with regard to the second shaft.

2. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for pivotally connecting said second shaft to said first shaft includes a sleeve member supported on said first shaft and a pivot pin extending from said sleeve member through said second shaft, said pivot pin having an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said first shaft.

3. A golf club as claimed in claim 2 in which said means to adjust said second shaft relative to said first shaft includes means carried by said sleeve member and selectively supporting said sleeve member at different positions longitudinally of said first shaft with said lastmentioned means including a spring urged lever arm having a lug on one end thereof, said first shaft having a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes thereof for selectively receiving the lug on said lever arm.

4. A golf club comprising: an elongated shaft having a handle at one end and a putter head at the other end thereof, the putter :head extending outwardly of the longitudinal axis of the shaft; a sleeve member mounted on said shaft intermediate said handle and said putter head for movement longitudinally of said shaft between upper and lower predetermined limits; means selectively supporting said sleeve member at different positions between the predetermined limits of its movement on said shaft; a second shaft carried by said sleeve member and extending in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said elongated shaft, said second shaft and said elongated shaft being pivotal relative to each other on an axis transverse to the longitudinal axes of both shafts; and a ground engaging rod extending outwardly from the lower end of said second shaft, said ground engaging rod being disposed beneath said putter head when said sleeve member is supported by said supporting means at its lower limit of movement relative to said elongated shaft, and means on said putter head cooperable with said rod to selectively prevent relative rotation of the second shaft relative to the elongated shaft.

5. A golf club as claimed in claim 4 in which said means on said putter head is a groove in the bottom surface thereof extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of said elongated shaft, said groove having a size complementary to the size of said ground engaging rod whereby said ground engaging rod may be received therein when said sleeve member is at the upper limit of its movement relative said elongated shaft.

A golf club as claimed in claim 4 in which said means for selectively supporting said sleeve member longitudinally of said shaft includes a spring-urged lever pivotally mounted on said sleeve member and having a lug on one end thereof and a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes in said elongated shaft for receiving the lug on said lever.

7. A golf club as claimed in claim 6 in which said elongated shaft has a portion thereof at least extending between the upper and lower limits of movement of said sleeve member which is of constant uniform diameter in cross section, said portion of said elongated shaft having a longitudinally extending groove between said holes, said groove receiving the end of the lug of said lever when said sleeve member is moved.

8. A golf club as claimed in claim 6 in which said sleeve member is square in cross section and in which said elongated shaft has a portion thereon upon which said sleeve member moves between its upper and lower limits which is also square in cross section and of a size to receive said sleeve member.

9. A golf club comprising: an elongated shaft having a handle at one end and a putter head at the other end thereof, a second shaft substantially parallel to said elongated shaft and having 'a ground engaging end portion extending below said putter head, means pivotally connecting said second shaft to said elongated shaft for pivotal movement on an axis extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said elongated shaft, said means being located intermediate the ends of said elongated shaft below said handle, and means on said second shaft cooperating with said elongated shaft to selectively prevent relative rotation of the elongated shaft with regard to the second shaft.

10. A golf club as claimed in claim 9 including means to adjust said second shaft and its ground engaging end portion relative to said putter head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,323 9/1875 Crandall. 1,264,047 4/1918 Flegel 27270.2 1,618,638 2/1927 Coles 27377 1,710,293 4/1929 Byles 272-70.2 1,739,468 12/1929 Klutho 273129 X 1,991,671 2/1935 Hodson 273--87.2

ANTON 0. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

R. J. APLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

